Fyi - Consumer

FYI

When was the last time you checked on your personal credit record? Perhaps a credit checkup should be on your list of new year's resolutions.

That's the advice of Elgie Holstein, director of Bankcard Holders of America, a non-profit consumer-credit group. Holstein said many consumers lack a basic understanding of their credit rights.

She offers these suggestions:

* Order a copy of your credit report from a major credit bureau. If you can't find the one nearest to you in the local phone book, you can get a nationwide directory of credit bureau offices for $2 from Bankcard Holders of America, 560 Herndon Parkway, Suite 120, Herndon, VA 22070. You'll also get the BHA Credit-Check Kit, a pamphlet explaining consumer action tips and rights in dealing with credit bureaus.

* Dispute in writing any items in your credit report that you believe to be inaccurate.

* If credit accounts you've already terminated are still listed as active on your report, notify the credit bureau.

* If you spot an unfamiliar inquiry on your credit report, contact the bureau immediately. You have a right to know who has seen your report, and they must have a legitimate business purpose for looking at it.

* If there are accounts listed in your report that you do not recognize, notify the bureau immediately.

FLAME ON

If you're planning a dinner party, you might want to consider Butaflame butane candles, which are long-burning and won't leave wax drippings on your tablecloth.

Manufactured by Tampus Gifts Inc. in Irwindale, Calif., the aluminum candles come in 12- or 15-inch lengths, are available in 18 colors and fit most candleholders. Tampus President Kirit P. Shah says the company also offers matching candleholders in 3-inch or 8-inch heights.

The candles will burn about three to five hours. A pair of 12-inch candles costs about $30; a pair of 15-inch candles, about $36. The candlesticks range from $38 to $75 a pair.

A can of Butaflame butane fuel provides about 15 hours of burn time and costs about $3.50, but you may use other brands of butane fluid. Simply fill each candle from the bottom with the butane, wait 10 minutes and light it to ensure an even flame. To clean, use a soft cloth dampened with water and a mild detergent.

General Mills will no longer make Benefit, the breakfast cereal that raised the blood pressure of some consumer groups and competitors by claiming to lower cholesterol.

The cereal was taken off the market not because of its controversial health claims and ingredients, but because it wasn't selling well, according to R. Craig Shulstad, director of media and financial relations food company.

Stephen Carnes, a securities analyst said that maybe Benefit was "a product whose time wasn't right."

But like others who tried it, Carnes points out another problem with the Benefit: It doesn't taste good.

The cereal contains a heavy dose of psyllium, a soluble fiber that General Mills says has been scientifically shown to reduce cholesterol. In September, the federal Food and Drug Administration asked General Mills to prove that psyllium is safe, even if consumed in large doses.

Although he contends the product is safe for consumers, Shulstad agreed that the confusion over the product probably hurt sales. Consumers didn't understand the benefits of soluble fiber, he said. And they were likely put off by the warning on the box about psyllium's potential allergic effects.

The FDA expressed concern over the "potential misleading nature of numerous (health) claims" on the Benefit label but said it would address those concerns after it conducted a psyllium review.

Kellogg Co. recently introduced a similar product called Heartwise and has said it plans to spend as much as $40 million to support the new product. The FDA also asked Kellogg to prove that psyllium was a safe ingredient.